[solved] Zotero 4 Standalone can't sync through a proxy

edited June 21, 2017
Please, I'd like some insight about what should I ask network administrators to do, or what can I do about this problem.

I installed Zotero 4 Standalone on a corporate computer running Windows 10, which uses a proxy to reach the Internet. On this computer, I was never able to sync with my Zotero library; after a while I receive (in Brazilian Portuguese) the message "Error connecting to server. Check your Internet connection." I tried opening Zotero's about:config and changing just about every proxy setting, to no avail.

I tried sending the debug output as an error report (even if I believe this is a network problem) to post the report ID here, but after a while the submission fails ("Invalid response from repository").

Although the debug output warns about a timeout requesting https://www.zotero.org/download/update-source.rdf, I am able to download the file by pasting the URL in the browser's address textbox.

I'm not sure if this is related to https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/comment/274046/#Comment_274046, or if it would improve by moving to Zotero 5 beta on this computer. (I have Zotero 4 running happily on Linux at home.)

This is the debug output:

[JavaScript Error: "Erro na conexão ao servidor. Confire sua conexão à internet." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 2595}]
[JavaScript Error: "Erro na conexão ao servidor. Confire sua conexão à internet." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 652}]
[JavaScript Error: "Erro na conexão ao servidor. Confire sua conexão à internet." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 2595}]
[JavaScript Error: "Erro na conexão ao servidor. Confire sua conexão à internet." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 652}]
1497992683999 addons.update-checker WARN Request for https://www.zotero.org/download/update-source.rdf timed out
1497992684011 addons.update-checker WARN Request for https://www.zotero.org/download/update-source.rdf timed out
[JavaScript Error: "1497992684016 addons.xpi ERROR Failed to clean updated system add-ons directories.: Win error 2 during operation DirectoryIterator.prototype.next on file C:\Users\leonardo.6343\AppData\Roaming\Zotero\Zotero\Profiles\sykm3oad.default\features (O sistema não pode encontrar o arquivo especificado.
) ((unknown module)) No traceback available" {file: "resource://gre/modules/Log.jsm" line: 751}]
[JavaScript Error: "Erro na conexão ao servidor. Confire sua conexão à internet." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 2595}]
[JavaScript Error: "Erro na conexão ao servidor. Confire sua conexão à internet." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 652}]

version => 4.0.29.17, platform => Win32, oscpu => Windows NT 10.0; WOW64, locale => en-US, appName => Zotero, appVersion => 4.0.29.17, extensions => Zotero LibreOffice Integration (3.5.12.SA.4.0.29.17, extension), Zotero Word for Windows Integration (3.5.6.SA.4.0.29.17, extension), Adobe Acrobat (17.9.20044.25828, plugin), Google Update (1.3.33.5, plugin), Silverlight Plug-In (5.1.50906.0, plugin)


Thanks in advance!
  • What settings are enabled in the system proxy settings? (You can leave out specific hostnames.)
  • edited June 21, 2017
    I had a similar problem cca one year ago. Our ICT department changed something in the firewall settings and I can not connect the zotero.org from Standalone version.
  • Hello, thanks for the attention.

    Windows is set to use manual proxy setting, with a certain IP address and port 8080, and a long list of exempted domains such as 192.168.1.* and web01. Option "do not use proxy server for local (intranet) addresses" (I'm backtranslating) is on.

    In its about:config, Zotero has http://kb.mozillazine.org/Network.proxy.type set to 4, "auto-detect proxy settings". As I said before, I have tried many changes to Zotero's proxy settings.

    After resetting it to 5, "use system proxy settings", I tried syncing again and got the following (shorter) error message, but this time I was able to submit the error and got the ID 1808094596. Then I tried syncing again, and it's been going on for a few hours, without a single item been added from my online Zotero library to this local Zotero library.


    [JavaScript Error: "Erro na conexão ao servidor. Confire sua conexão à internet." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 2595}]
    [JavaScript Error: "Erro na conexão ao servidor. Confire sua conexão à internet." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 652}]

    version => 4.0.29.17, platform => Win32, oscpu => Windows NT 10.0; WOW64, locale => en-US, appName => Zotero, appVersion => 4.0.29.17, extensions => Zotero LibreOffice Integration (3.5.12.SA.4.0.29.17, extension), Zotero Word for Windows Integration (3.5.6.SA.4.0.29.17, extension), Adobe Acrobat (17.9.20044.25828, plugin), Google Update (1.3.33.5, plugin), Silverlight Plug-In (5.1.50906.0, plugin)



    By the way, I recently installed Dropbox on this machine, and can't sync either. It believes I'm offline. (And no, I'm not trying to use Dropbox to sync Zotero's database.)
  • Oh, well... It seems that I am in the reverse of @LiborA 's situation.

    Reversing network.proxy.type to the default setting of 5 (detect system settings), I was finally able to sync this installation of Zotero 4 with Zotero's server!

    Thanks, @dstillman !

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